General Tso's Chicken
About this recipe
General Tso's Chicken is a beloved takeout dish known for its crispy chicken and sticky, sweet sauce. This recipe takes it up a notch by ensuring the chicken is extra crispy and the sauce is bright and flavorful, making it a perfect homemade alternative to your favorite takeout.
In this video, Brian Lagerstrom shares his secrets for achieving that perfect crunch and clingy coating that makes General Tso's Chicken so irresistible. With a few key techniques and ingredients, you'll be able to recreate this dish in your own kitchen.
Ingredient notes
- 450g of boneless skinless chicken breast is about 1 pound or 2 medium breasts.
- 30g of potato starch can be substituted with cornstarch.
Tips from Brian Lagerstrom’s video
- Using a jaccard tool to pierce the chicken helps break down muscle fibers, making the meat more tender and juicy.
- Letting the breaded chicken rest in the fridge for 20 minutes boosts adhesion of the breading by 30-50%.
- The craggy bits created from the dry mix are key to achieving maximum crispiness, as they hold their texture even when the chicken steams or is coated in sauce.
Good to know
- How long does it take to prepare this dish?
- The total time for this recipe is 1 hour.
- Can I use chicken thighs instead of breasts?
- Yes, thighs can work, but breasts hold onto their breading better in this recipe.
No life story here — the video and the recipe are the whole point. All credit to Brian Lagerstrom: watch the original on YouTube.
The recipe
Ingredients
Steps
- 1
Prep the chicken by jaccarding each breast about 10 times per side or poking 20-30 times with a fork. Slice each breast into 3-4 long strips, then cut into ~3/4 inch cubes.
- 2
In a medium bowl, combine soy sauce, mirin, MSG, baking soda, and potato starch. Add the chicken and mix to coat. Let it rest for 20 minutes.
- 3
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, garlic powder, salt, and potato starch until uniform to create the dry mix.
- 4
In a separate bowl, weigh 250g of the dry mix. Add 300g of water and stir until it resembles thin pancake batter.
- 5
Pour 200g of the batter into the remaining dry mix. Briefly whisk, then use your hands to rub and crumble until you have small craggy bits.
- 6
Toss about 1/3 of the marinated chicken in the batter to coat lightly. Lift, let excess drip, then drop into the craggy dry mix. Fluff and tumble to build a strong base layer without rubbing it off. Repeat with remaining chicken.
- 7
Spread the breaded chicken on a tray and refrigerate for 20 minutes to hydrate the outer starch and boost adhesion.
- 8
In a bowl, whisk together soy sauce, sesame oil, mirin, rice vinegar, sambal, ketchup, sugar, brown sugar, cornstarch, and MSG until smooth for the sauce.
- 9
Heat neutral oil in a Dutch oven to about 325°F (1.5-2 inches deep). Fry chicken in two batches, gently lowering in and frying for 6-7 minutes until golden. Drain on a rack or paper towel.
- 10
In a wok or large nonstick pan over high heat, add a squeeze of oil and scallions; stir-fry for 60 seconds. Add cracked chiles (if using) and toast briefly. Add ginger and garlic; stir constantly for 30-40 seconds until fragrant.
- 11
Pour the sauce around the hot pan edge, bring to a boil, and reduce by 15-20%. Add fried chicken and toss for about 30 seconds to coat in the sauce.
- 12
Serve the chicken over steamed rice and garnish with reserved scallion greens.
Heads up — we had to guess a little:
- The quantity for 'dried chiles de árbol' is inferred as a range based on typical usage in recipes.
Credit where it’s due: this recipe was transcribed from Brian Lagerstrom’s original video on YouTube. Follow them there — it’s their dish.
Are you Brian Lagerstrom? Claim this page or ask us to take it down. Your call, always.
